


A Forced Vacation

by GuineaPigSqueaks



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, F/M, FFXV Rarepair Big Bang 2020, Fleurentia, Ignis Scientia is Not Blind, M/M, NSFW, Road Trips, Romance, Sexual Content, Workaholic Ignis Scientia, Workaholic Ravus Nox Fleuret
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:53:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 21,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27449701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuineaPigSqueaks/pseuds/GuineaPigSqueaks
Summary: With the Scourge banished, Lunafreya and Noctis have proceeded with their wedding. Not only for love but for as a symbol of peace to welcome the new era. However, Ravus and Ignis may have taken their oaths to serve a little too far. The two work themselves bone-tired, undertaking any issue no matter how trivial to aid their dearest siblings. Worried about the well-being of their closest companions, Luna and Noct send the two out on a fake business trip to Altissia hoping to spark a little love connection between the two.
Relationships: Lunafreya Nox Fleuret/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ravus Nox Fleuret/Ignis Scientia
Kudos: 19
Collections: FFXV Rarepair Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My work for the Rareair Big Bang! I was paired with the talented Dask for this rarepair event! Please check out their spicy piece of art!!! 
> 
> https://twitter.com/howgayisdask/status/1325265612092960768

Books and files lay scattered across a dark mahogany desk, though at least they were thrown with some sense of order. A man was slumped over the desktop, his head rested on his folded arms. A typical night for the advisor of the king, and there was sure to be a repeat in the morning once the sunshine peered in through the windows in the next coming hours.

Not even the footsteps of the king could wake him from his sleep. The poor man had worked himself into exhaustion which worried Noctis as he laid a blanket over Ignis’s shoulders.

“Can’t take a break can you, Specs.” he sighed. The light had returned to the land, and the Chosen King remained to lead and protect the people in this new era. He had grown to accept this fated responsibility, knowing what was expected from him. Still, Ignis seemed to believe it was his sworn duty to protect the king. Even from his job, evidently.

In a similar position was the retainer and brother of the Oracle. Lunafreya had come into his office to deliver a tray of tea and cookies but frowned when she saw Ravus sleeping on his desk with crumpled papers over the floor. There were a few pens snapped in half, most likely broken from the frustration of the work he had taken upon himself. There was no need to, but he felt it was his duty to protect his sister after everything that had happened. She deserved a chance to live was what he would tell her anytime she pleaded with him to stop taking on so much work.

“I do wish you would rest better, dear brother.” She set the tray down on the desk before combing her fingers through his hair. Honestly, she was an adult, and she knew it was her calling to serve the people. There was no need for Ravus to take on every menial task that landed on her desk.  
She adjusted the cloak he used to hide his missing limb, so it covered his body and kissed the top of his head before silently leaving his study. Ever since Ravus decided to remove his prosthetic arm, it worried her to see himself working so hard like this. She understood his reasoning since it was powered by the Scourge, but why couldn’t he replace it with one that wasn't? It seemed like a form of punishment, and it probably was to be honest. 

She returned to her bedroom and found Noctis in bed with a pensive look on his face. Luna joined him, curling her body beside his as she nestled into the soft blankets. “I’m guessing you went and paid Ravus a visit?” 

Luna hummed. “And I assume Ignis is in a similar position.” Noctis nodded and both sighed in unison. “Noctis, this can’t go on. I know traveling from Lucis to Tenebrae worries him, but as the Oracle and your wife, I must. Still, he does much more in one week than I do in a month.” 

“Agreed and Ignis is the same. Not one detail slips past him. These two are working themselves into an early grave.” He looked down at Luna to his side and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

She looked up towards her husband with a wide smile on her face. As worried as he was for Ignis’s wellbeing, looking at Lunafreya’s face assured him that everything would be okay. The support they provided for one another was comforting. Having someone to be there, to love and to hold. It was amazing.

To love and to hold...An idea came to his mind, and by the look on Luna’s face, she must have drawn the same conclusion.

“Noctis, do you think…”

“I mean, they have worked together a few times.”  
“If you’re referring to-”

“I am and-”

“One moment, we’ll need a notebook. If we are to play matchmaker for our dear brothers, we will need to plan properly.”

The Oracle’s talent for planning was something to be admired and paired with the King’s ability to adjust for unforeseen events would make their plan perfect. Now all they needed was to see it in motion once they finally settled on a course.

As eager as they were to set the plan in motion, it needed time. Calls had to be made, rooms needed to be booked and rebooked at least once for a certain part. It wasn’t easy keeping this a secret, not with their trusted retainers always aware of their plans and schedules. It hurt to push more unnecessary work onto them, but if kept them away from the truth then hopefully it was worth it. If their little scheme did in fact work, it would certainly have to hold to that. There was no room for failure.

Finally, a week later and everything was ready and prepared to be set in motion. Both Ignis and Ravus were standing in Noctis’s study while Lunafreya remained outside with her ear pressed to the door. She volunteered to step out as she couldn’t stop giggling at the sight of her brother and Ignis beside each other. Side by side they did look like a good couple she thought. There was no doubt in her mind that this plan could fail. Besides, on a more whimsical thought, the two did have the appearance of a power couple. If this plan worked and they decided to go public with their relationship, they would certainly look great on the front page of newspapers.

Ignis stepped forward.” If this is about the Glaive report-” Luna snapped herself out of her daydreams and pressed her ear even closer to the door when she heard someone speak. The plan was now in motion.

Noctis raised his hand. “No this isn’t about that. This is something new altogether.” Ravus raised an eyebrow as his interest was now piqued.

“You’re very well aware of the restoration projects taking place in Lucis and Tenebrae, both of which have moved along faster than we anticipated I should add. Thanks in part to Ravus’s effort.”

“There is no need for thanks. It’s my home, and it was a duty that only I could shoulder considering…” Ignis placed a hand on the man’s shoulder when he picked up the other’s wavering tone. 

“Please continue, your Majesty.” The small act of affection caught Noctis off guard as his focus remained on his retainer’s hand. Could they possibly be...No. Noctis knew his brother well. When Ignis cared for someone he would offer a small physical act of comfort, but this was more of a pat. At the least, he probably considered Ravus a colleague, and at the most a friend. Well, it was something to work with at least. The fact that Ravus didn’t push his hand away also meant he at least felt something similar. Now, all they needed to do was work on building upon that foundation.

The two were now staring at their king, confused about the long pause. “You were saying.” Ignis gestured Noctis to continue.

“Right. Anyways, enough of this king act. So, Luna and I need you two to head down to Altissia and pitch in with the restoration efforts. A small discreet matter popped up, and you two were the best for the job.”

“Discreet?”

“Yup, not allowed to mention. You’ll be briefed once you arrive.” In all honesty, he and Luna couldn’t come up with a reason important enough to leave their sides. Ignis hadn’t left the city since Noctis’s coronation, and even Ravus only followed his sister’s travels.

“You cannot expect me to leave my sister unattended for a place that does not concern me, and even worse for a reason you will not disclose.”

“In a less harsh tone, I’m afraid I must agree. There is simply too much to be done here to leave on your own.”

He figured this much would happen. Their first snag in the plan, but they did prepare for this.

“I’m not asking, I’m telling.”

“And if we refuse,” Ignis added.

“Huh, refuse? If you can’t listen to your king’s words, then maybe a change of staff might be in order. You know, Gladio knows Lucis just about as well as you.”

“Noctis,” Ignis warned.

“I’m just saying Gladio wouldn’t mind a trip to Altissia if it meant a change in scenery while helping the people.” 

Ravus couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. “Well, since I’m not exactly under your employment I suppose I’ll see myself out.” While Noctis and Ignis went back and forth, he stepped out to be greeted by his sister who was still present near the door. Her face tried its best to remain calm, but her eyes couldn’t hide her smile.

“I take it, you agreed?”

“Obviously not.”

Luna sighed. “Oh, Ravus. Must you stay by my side? Noctis and I can handle things very well on our own. I’m not a child that needs her brother looking over her shoulder every second of the day.”

Her brother remained as stoic as always but there was a hint of a smile as he placed his hand on his sister’s hair and patted her head. Yes, she wasn’t a child, but she still did enjoy the affection her brother showed her, if only he could share it with someone else. She wished it even more so given Ravus’s situation.

“That may be true, but I owe you so much. When the Imperials took over…” He looked at Luna with guilt in his eyes, remorse clearly written on his face. She understood, gods she did, but this wasn’t healthy. Ravus had been forgiven long ago, but he couldn’t seem to accept this as it couldn’t be that easy. The orders he had followed and given while working for the Imperial Army were harsh and cruel. No one could ever be truly forgiven for such evil deeds.

“Ravus, please. Go to Altissia. You and Ignis are the only people we trust who can handle this. Besides, if you finish early you might be able to enjoy a little vacation.” Ravus was about interject but Luna carried on. “A small one. Maybe just a few hours at a bar? Please, for my sake? Take a break.”

His sister was clearly distressed on the matter as he could see. Honestly, there was no time for vacations, especially since he didn’t deserve one at all. Still, if it would bring a smile to his dear sister’s face how could he be so cruel as to say no?

“Very well, but it’ll be a quick trip, Lunafreya.”

The following day, Ravus and Noctis met Ignis in his office to discuss the trip. Both seemed to be amazed at the fact that the other agreed, but they quickly pushed that aside and moved to prep for the long trip. Well, everything was all set to go much to their surprise which seemed oddly suspicious. Their bags had been packed, and the keys to the Regalia were given to Ignis upon his agreement to the mission. They really weren’t kidding when they said this was a job that needed to be dealt with quickly considering that Noctis handed him the keys to his beloved father’s car. He knew Noctis had nothing but the deepest trust in him but even this was a little much for just a quick drive to Galdin Quay. Perhaps he was going to have Gladio retrieve it after? No, that didn’t make much sense either, but perhaps there was an oversight when requesting a vehicle and Noctis decided to offer his own to settle the situation in a timely manner.

Just as they were about to leave the office, Noctis had one last thing to say.

“Take care on your trip and come back in one piece.” 

Noctis patted both men on the shoulders and left in a hurry. In fact, he left in such a rush that neither of the two men were able to thank him for loaning the two his car. Again, this only raised more questions, but since they weren’t keen on letting this business trip last longer than was necessary, they dropped the matter for now.

As promised, the two found the Regalia waiting for them at the entrance of the Citadel Both Ignis and Ravus reach for the door of the driver’s side, and both looked at each other as if they had insulted the other.

“I’ll drive.” Ravus states.

“While I do not doubt your driving capabilities, I do doubt your knowledge concerning the roads and locations.”

Ravus looked at Ignis for a solid minute before stepping aside. “You have a point.” He walked over to the passenger’s side and took a seat in the car. Clearly, he was uncomfortable with the little leg room he had as he crossed and uncrossed his legs. Come to think of it, that would explain why Gladio had always opted to sit in the back seat now that he recalled those car trips long ago. “Straight to Galdin Quay.”

“Are you commanding me? In this case, I give the orders.” He did his best to force a stern expression, but he couldn’t hold it for long as a smile broke through is unamused façade.

Ravus smiled and Ignis chuckled in return. At least this trip would be with someone the other could tolerate, or rather respect in their case. 

They sat in silence for the most part, with an occasional comment on what they expect to do in Altissia. During the last stretch of the trip, Ignis noticed Ravus adjusting his cloak, though he seemed to be careful with keeping his hidden limb hidden as he fiddled with the cloth.

“If the heat is bothering you, I could lower a window or turn on the air conditioning.” Ignis offered the other. The older man only shook his head in response and turned his head to face the scenery passing by the window.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’ll be fine.”

“Very well, but should you change your mind, please feel free to ask me. I won’t mind.” Ravus was a man who knew what he wanted, and Ignis knew better than to argue with him especially over a small matter like this. “You do look rather dapper in that cloak if I may say. Very regal.”

The white-haired man laughed, a genuine one at that. “Well, I still am a prince.”

“Ah, so I should serve you hand and foot as I did for Noctis?” the other joked in return.

“You do make a rather handsome servant. Perhaps I might take you on that offer, Scientia.” His comment caused Ignis to blush faintly as he didn’t expect Ravus to compliment him. Well, in terms of appearance anyways. When it came to his work ethic, the other had nothing but praise for him. 

The remainder of the drive to Galdin Quay was silent. Ravus couldn’t bring himself to interrupt the other as he drove. He was most likely reminiscing of the time he and his friends spent in the car during their journey when Noctis was on his path to becoming the Chosen King. While Ravus didn’t utter a word, he did sneak a few glances at Ignis at the wheel. There was a brightness to his eyes, and Ravus found himself to be happy for the other. 

Upon pulling into the parking lot at their destination, Ignis excused himself to check on the boat but Ravus insisted on joining. “Really, I don’t mind seeing the boat while you take a moment to stretch your legs, Ravus.”

“I would rather we get to Altissia as soon as possible. Besides, I can pace about the boat should I need to.” Stubborn as always, but Ignis didn’t mind it. At times it could be bothersome, but for the most part, he admired how Ravus was adamant about his choices. Quite frankly, he found it to be yet another attractive quality. To know what you want and never to settle for less. This man radiated nothing but authority.

The two walked into the building, the staff greeted the two but only Ignis greeted them in return as the other man simply wanted to get going and get this over with. As they headed to the dock behind the lobby of the building Ignis’s was surprised to see it was Dino who oversaw the boat services which was something he maybe should have seen coming. The two men greeted one another, though Ravus remained behind his travel companion as he was more concerned about reaching their destination than making friends with a stranger.

“Right, so the King asked me to set up a boat for you two but there’s a little snag in the plan.”

Ravus took a step forward, his eyebrows knitted with ire. “Snag?”

Dino was taken back by the expression on the prince’s face but shrugged it off a second after. He had seen worse during those lightless years. “We had one last boat set for you two, but it’s not up and running anymore. ‘Course there are two more, but they’re not deep-sea suited so…”

“They can’t reach Altissia.” Ignis finished.

“Might wanna give the King a call and see what to do. I’m aware of a private vessel that should still be working, but I can’t exactly give you permission to use it.”

Nothing seemed to be simple, so it appeared. Ravus excused himself to take care of setting arrangements for the night while Ignis decided to give Noctis a call. Hopefully, this mess could be settled once and for all without any more interruptions.

He leaned forward on the railing that overlooked the ocean as he waited for Noctis to pick up the phone. It only took three rings until his friend picked up.

“Hey, Specs. Everything alright?” 

“No, the boat that was meant to take us to Altissia is broken, though Dino mentioned that you might have the boat we used before to reach the city, however.”

Noctis hummed on the other end. “I see. Well, at least now you have use of two royal vehicles.” He laughed for a moment before he continued. “The Royal Vessel should still be at Cape Caem. Try not to sink her, alright?”

“Of course. In any case, thank you for the other means of transportation, though I do hope your planning abilities improve, Noct.”

“Hey, it was just a little oversight, come on. Anyway, take care on your trip. Call me often, alright? The same goes for Ravus.”

With that, the call ended. Truly Noctis needed his help if this simple trip already had this many issues. Perhaps he should call again and ask to have the trip canceled considering this was enough evidence to prove he needed to return, but if he carried on with that choice it might leave Ravus to complete this task on his own. The boats could have just been a simple mistake. Then again, Noctis was quite an effective planner when the situation called for it. No, clearly there was something else here at play. There was simply no way Noctis would have let something like this slip past him knowing that Ignis would be acting on his behalf.

He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Ravus had joined him at his side. He didn’t look at the other but instead focused his gaze on the setting sun over the clear, blue ocean.

“Our rooms have been taken care of. Courtesy of the King and Queen.” Ravus informed him.

“Let me guess, the rooms were already booked in advance?”

Ravus nodded. “I assume you have already figured out what is going on?”

“Given that we are conveniently stranded in a picturesque location for the night while having a better-suited car for the road with sentimental value paired with the boat suddenly being unavailable points to sabotage.”

“I find sabotage is a strong word, but it certainly makes sense.” 

“Well, with this new piece of information you might agree. Noctis gave us permission to use his personal boat without a second thought. Almost as if he were expecting this to happen.

He heard a chuckle from Ravus and laughed in return. Ravus spoke, “Our siblings were never concerned with this project. If anything, this is just their excuse to give us an extended vacation.”

“Indeed. Clever couple, but I’m afraid they couldn’t quite fool us.”

“I believe we still hold the title in that regard.” 

“The workaholic duo of Eos is more like it. Though speaking of work, could you join me in my room? We need to plan our trip considering the two will be reluctant to let us back into the city so soon.”

And of course, they did plan the trip. It was longer than what was planned, but it should still get them to Altissia in ample time. This was a waste of time and both were aware, but Noctis and Lunafreya really did try so it seemed. They just couldn’t quite fool the two into believing all these unfortunate events were by mere chance. 

As Ravus stood from his chair, Ignis moved from his seat to the bed and patted the spot beside him as he called the other’s name. It caught his attention, though he was a bit wary about taking the seat, but he did give in though there was an arm’s length between them. 

“Is something the matter, Scientia?”

Ignis shook his head. “No, nothing at all but I do want to discuss a few things if you will permit me a moment of your time.” The other man nodded in response, and Ignis continued. “I take it you’re open to the idea of being together?”

“I would have requested someone else had that not been the case.”

“Ravus, you know what I mean.”

“I do, and I answered the question.” The taller man inched his body closer to Ignis until the distance between them was closed.

“And here I thought your attempt at flirting was something unintentional.” Ravus scoffed in response as he placed his hand over Ignis’s and gave it a squeeze. “Look, back at the Citadel I know we had some sort of connection but I just-”

“Couldn’t act due to responsibility to the King?” Ravus interrupted.

“Hm. You were in the same situation with the Queen. Look, I doubt the two will let us back into the city considering this is their plan to force a vacation on us. Why not take this chance to act like a normal couple? To see if we do in fact have more than just a work connection.”

The older man was silent, but his hand remained over the other’s. His face didn’t appear to disapprove of the idea, but he couldn’t tell if he was for it either. However, the fact that they were still hand in hand was enough of an answer for Ignis. Ravus was more genuine in actions than words. “Well, we did have on a date before in the past, so I’m not concerned, but just in case, what would happen should this not work out?”

“I doubt we’ll be at each other’s throats should this fall through. Even less so would we make the situation awkward at work when we return.”

That was all he needed to hear, and Ravus lifted his hand and instead placed it on Ignis’s cheek, his thumb brushing his skin gently. “I dislike that our courting must be formal, but with our positions and siblings to keep in mind I understand it must be so. If they were foolish enough to even think that they could fool us, we may as well take advantage of the situation.”

“They are grown adults after all. Perhaps they are right about allowing them to make their own choices when it comes to work-related issues. Taking on every menial task coupled with larger ones was self-destructive I’ll admit.”

“Seeing you work yourself sick was something that pained me, but I couldn’t step in as I was no different as I did not want to fall behind you. I also couldn’t leave my sister to handle so much work yet as she was only just given back to us.”

“You needn’t explain. I understand where you come from.” They once again took to sitting in silence, taking in the moment. It wasn’t much, but having Ravus touch his cheek was soothing, and talking to someone who understood what he was going through was beyond relieving. They had small moments like this at the Citadel, but they were so small it wasn’t enough to satiate either of them. 

It was Ravus who ended the moment by standing up. “As eager as I am to make up for lost time, I want to treat you with respect. Rest well, for now, I will see you in the morning and we can see how we will move forward from there.” He was about to leave the other to rest for the night, but he was stopped by the sound of the other’s voice.

“One last thing. Please, call me Ignis. While your formality is dashing, I would prefer you use my given name. It's more affectionate.”

“As you wish, Ignis. Now, get some rest. You will need it for the drive to Caem.” With that, he bid the other farewell before leaving for his own room to rest for the night.

If this trip was just a vacation in disguise, he was glad it at least gave the two a chance to at least attempt a romantic relationship. He removed the visor from his eyes, setting it aside on the nightstand as he laid on the bed to fall asleep. He could change into sleepwear, but he wanted to fall asleep with the sensation of the other’s touch still lingering on his hand and cheek.  



	2. Chapter 2

The following morning Ravus awoke in his room, his hand stretched away from his body but nestled comfortably among the bedsheets. As he looked at his hand, he thought fondly of the moment that took place the other night between him and Ignis. It wasn’t like the former Imperial commander to feel sentimental over such small things, but here he was smiling at his remaining hand. Perhaps he was touch starved from the lack of romantic contact. Or maybe he was learning to soften now that his sister and the world were no longer in danger. 

A knock at the door pulled him away from his thoughts. “It's Ignis. May I enter?” He quickly pulled the sheets up over himself to hide his upper body, mainly his missing limb. 

“You may.” With his permission, Ignis entered the room with a bowl of fresh fruit, though it was soon on the ground when he was greeted by the sight of a Ravus in bed whom he assumed to be naked under the sheets.

“You said I could come in!” he shouted as he turned to face the door as he couldn’t bring himself to face the man in bed. Ravus could be heard laughing, but he failed to see what was so funny.

“I did. Surely an adult such as yourself isn’t uncomfortable with something like this? Not to mention the offer you considered the other night?” he teased.

He had a point, but he didn’t want to admit it. “What happened to easing into our relationship?”

“Lying half-naked in bed doesn’t imply anything, and besides, I’m clothed underneath. You just assumed I was naked.”

Ignis rolled his eyes before turning around to face the other. “I believe you’re a bit too old to be pulling these types of pranks, no?” The other only smirked, so he bent down to pick up the fruit from the floor. “I suppose I’ll ask for another serving. Do get dressed in the meantime.”

When Ignis had left him alone in his room, he rolled out of bed to get dressed and tossed on his cloak. Considering the warmer weather, he opted for a lighter one. The material was lighter in color and weight, and it only covered the side where his magitek arm used to be compared to the thicker one that covered half his body. While he could opt to go without it, he could do without the stares. Though, now that he thought about it, he received stares from strangers regardless of whether it was from his appearance or the fact that he was the former Prince- No. He still is a prince; he mustn't forget that bit. 

They enjoyed a quiet breakfast together at Galdin’s restaurant and were joined for a minute by Dino who wanted to send the two off on a nice trip.

“One last thing. They just closed off the road to Caem from here, so you might have to take a bit of a detour. Sorry about that, but I heard you two have a nice car so it shouldn’t be a problem, right?” With that, he excused himself and Ignis groaned. Of course, there was yet another convenient problem that extended their trip. Really, Noctis and Luna were taking this just a bit too far. They ended up replanning their route around the roadblock during their breakfast. It was a longer trip, but at least he had Ravus with him.

They began their trip right after breakfast as they didn’t want to lose any time just in case their siblings had any more surprises for them. With the car running low on fuel they stopped at Longwythe to refuel the car, and Ravus took the opportunity to pace about and stretch his legs.

“Not enough legroom in the car, Ravus?” 

The other man continued to walk about, answering without facing Ignis. “The downfalls of having an impressive stature.”

“If you wish, there’s a ranch nearby that grows vegetables and fruits. I noticed our “planners” took the liberty of packing a cooking set for our use. While the trip isn’t too long, I would rather have fresh meals than pre-packaged dinners at rest stops or fast food at diners. It should be enough activity to keep you busy. Besides, it would be lovely to cook a full meal for once.”

This caught his attention as he stopped pacing and turned to face Ignis to address him directly. “You enjoy cooking?”

Ignis nodded. “Of course. Do you think catered our siblings’ wedding out of duty?”

“I... I had thought you were simply in charge of ordering the staff around in the kitchen. I didn’t think you did the cooking. Truth be told, I was rather fond of the food that day. I wouldn’t be opposed to trying your cooking again if you’ll allow it.”

Ignis nodded, though the visor over his eyes hid how truly happy he was to hear that Ravus wanted to try his cooking.

It wasn’t that far of a drive, and the two were allowed to pick as much as they wanted from the gardens. They were told it was a reward for bringing the light back to the world, though Ravus suspected the owner’s wife was smitten with Ignis. Her gaze was practically plastered over him. How the other man missed the obvious signs was beyond him, but he felt a pang of possessiveness strike him. He took Ignis’s hand into his own, clutching it tightly as one would hold on to an item to keep it from being taken away. She seemed to get the hint, and the two were left to venture into the fields. 

Their hands were still linked together, but neither seemed to mind. In fact, Ignis squeezed the older man’s hand to keep him from slipping away. “I didn’t figure you for the jealous type. Or do you simply not trust me to remain faithful?” The latter part was a tease, but he knew it didn’t need explaining. Ravus knew well enough to pick up on his subtle sarcasm. 

“Don’t be ridiculous. All she needs to know is that you are mine.”

“That would be jealousy, Ravus.”

“Jealousy implies that you can be taken away. What I merely did was show her that you belonged to me.” He countered.

Ignis shook his head, but a faint smile could be seen on his lips. “I believe it can also be said that you belong to me.”

“We have plenty of time to discuss this at a later time. What we should focus on is picking the vegetables you require for the dish you plan on cooking.”

Ignis nodded and the two headed to the field beside them. They were informed that the vegetables had already been picked for the day, and they were welcome to take a small box of fresh produce. While Ignis already had what he wanted in mind, he did allow Ravus to make some selections as well to suit his tastes. He was surprised to see Ignis was fond of vegetables though he didn’t expect one thing to not suit his tastes.

“You’re positive there aren’t any carrots in that crate?” the prince asked.

“Yes, and I didn’t expect a man of your status and age to be a picky eater.”

The other was offended, and immediately defended his dislike of the orange vegetable. “It isn’t picky, they simply don’t taste well. Their texture is absolutely repulsive when boiled, and the effort it takes to bite into one is more than it’s worth.”

“Fine, fine. So long as you can eat the rest. I suppose beans will still be on the menu?” Ravus froze at the mention of beans. Ignis pinched the bridge of his nose as he shook his head in disapproval. “No beans then?”

“The shape is rather odd.” 

Ignis sighed as he opened the crate back up and placed the bags of beans back into their respective baskets. How ironic that the Prince of Tenebrae and the now King of Lucis shared such a similar disdain of two foods. As he double-checked the crate, Ravus came by to pat him on the shoulder. 

“As your current boyfriend for the moment, you are allowed to do more than simply pat me affectionately.”

Ravus shook his head, a soft chuckle escaped his lips. “I suppose you have a point there.” He placed his hand to the top of Ignis’s hair, and gently combed his fingers through his fine hair. “Better?” Ignis hummed in approval which earned a stronger chuckle from the usually stoic man. They remained there in the moment until the two realized there were other places to be.

It was Ignis who stepped away but Ravus didn’t protest. “I believe we have a road trip to return to. Hmm...Lestallum is quite a drive away, however, there is a Chocobo post near here.”

“Chocobo post? I actually haven’t seen a Chocobo up close before.” His tone was somewhat lighter, and it was something one normally wouldn’t catch onto unless they spent a significant amount of time around the prince of Tenebrae. 

“We can stop to see them as we've earned a little break. This is what this trip is for after all.” 

“Still, we shouldn’t waste too much time on frivolous ventures.”

“Nonsense, Ravus. Besides, I’m sure Wiz wouldn’t mind a visit.”

It was another long, silent drive, however, this time Ravus was considerably more affectionate with actions this time around. Compared to his usual behavior at least. He found himself reaching over to gently massage Ignis’s shoulder anytime he appeared to be stiff. The other would hum pleasantly anytime Ravus soothed a troubled spot, a faint smile would grace both their lips.

As much as both enjoyed exchanging small quips a bit of banter, it was small moments that really felt like this was a real relationship. Something that would last long beyond their mandatory vacation.

As Ignis pulled into the Chocobo Post lot, Ravus was already stretching his legs in the small legroom he had.

“You could ask me to pull over now and again. It’s obvious you’re not adjusted to long car trips.”

Ravus only shook his head in response. He waited for Ignis to step out of the car and followed after him as he made his way to one of the Chocobo pens. There were a few birds at least, and they seemed to be in good shape at least in Ignis’s opinion. He walked up to one of the large, yellow birds and held his hand out to it. Ravus looked as if he were about to intercept but stopped in place when the bird nuzzled its beak against Ignis’s open palm.

Ravus stood there, amazed at the interaction between the younger man and the large bird. For something so large it seemed gentle and quite frankly adorable. He didn’t notice the other had been calling him over. With a bit of hesitation in his stride, he slowly stepped forward to his lover’s side and repeated his action. Ignis guided the bird’s beak to Ravus’s hand and it nuzzled its beak against his open palm. It was a sensation he wasn’t used to, the feel of its beak and its eagerness for affection, but he found it to be a pleasant experience. In fact, he was so lost in the moment that he didn’t notice Ignis had walked away to speak with who he assumed to be the owner of the post. He offered the Chocobo a few gentle pets before joining Ignis and the stranger.

An older gentleman looked at Ravus from head to toe and nodded before he held out his hand. “So, this is the famed Prince of Tenebrae. It’s an honor to meet you, Prince Ravus. Feel free to call me Wiz” The prince took a moment to react before shaking the old man’s hand. “Not hard to believe you lead the Imperial Army some time ago.” Ravus was about to interject but Wiz laughed softly. “You aren’t that man anymore from what Ignis tells me. Saw you with that Chocobo earlier, and she seems to trust you well enough to let you pet her. Any friend of hers is a friend of mine, your Highness.”

Ignis looked away, no doubt an attempt to hide a smile from the two men. “Is she not quick to trust?” Ravus asked.

“Not since the Long Night. Poor girl was all alone when we found her outside Lestallum as a chick. Luckily, she wasn’t hurt but I can’t say the same for her mother.” Wiz was silent for a moment, his gaze lowered to the floor for a brief minute before meeting Ravus’s eyes again. “The birds haven’t quite returned to the usual numbers, but King Noctis has been more than helpful in providing aid to projects to restore the population. Anyways, it's old boring talk to anyone outside the projects so I won’t bore you with the details. You two are more than welcome to look around the place, I’d love to show you around, but these birds don’t take care of themselves.”

“Perhaps we can be of assistance?” Ignis chimed in.

“I couldn’t ask you two do that. It’s far too much to ask anyone.”

“Consider it as a thank you for allowing us to visit.”

Wiz held rested his chin between his thumb and index finger as he pondered over their offer. He sighed in defeat knowing Ignis wasn’t the type to leave without offering something in exchange for kindness. “I suppose I could use a bit of help. These aren’t simple chores though so I trust you two are aware that you might not be leaving tonight.

“That is more than fine with me. If Ignis wishes to help, I will oblige as well. We are a bit of a package deal at the moment.”

“In that case, I do have a spare room you two can stay in. You’ll have to share it, but I can bring a spare bed in there.”

The couple looked at one another, a pause of silence filled the air. They knew they would eventually share a room, but they didn’t expect it to happen so soon in the trip. It wasn’t as if they would be sharing a bed, however, the fact was still a bit surprising.

“I take it you two don’t get along?” Wiz added after the silence had gone on longer than what was comfortable.

Ignis snapped out of the daze first. “No, no! That isn’t it at all. We’ll be fine.” His tone seemed eager as if he were afraid the offer would be taken away. Or changed to something less favorable.

“Well, the room is behind what used to be the shop. You’re more than welcome to use the kitchen as well. Feel free to get settled before you guys get to the things I could use some help with.”

They didn’t do much aside from changing into a different set of clothes to do a bit of rough labor. Ignis was surprised that Ravus still insisted on wearing the cloak that hid the fact he was missing an arm. As Ravus was about to leave, he grabbed him by the wrist.

The taller man looked down at where the two met, confused by the other’s need to stop him.

“Ravus, are you sure you want to wear that? It might get torn, or worse you might overheat in it.”

“I’ll be fine.” Was all he said. Ignis shook his head, opposed to the idea. Ravus rolled his eyes and sighed. “If you really must insist.” Once the other had moved his hand away, Ravus gripped the pin that held his cloak together. He was just about to undo the pin that held it in place, but he caught a glance of Ignis from the corner of his eyes. He was standing there, simply watching. All of a sudden, he felt a sudden flash of heat to his cheeks. His pale skin darkened to a dark shade of red, and it was something that certainly did not go unnoticed.

“Is everything alright? You look flushed. Hm, perhaps it would be better if you remained here and I took care of the tasks?”

“It’s fine.” He took a deep breath and removed the pin, the cloak opened to reveal his upper torso. He removed the cloak from over his shoulder and set it down on the bed and stood there frozen in place as he waited for Ignis to make a comment about his appearance. He was used to it, even the tailors who tended to his finer clothes would ask questions. Instead, he was met with the sight of Ignis removing his button-up shirt, leaving him in only just a tight short-sleeved shirt.

Or at least that was what he noticed at first glance. He had to pry his eyes away from Ignis’s surprisingly toned physique to notice that the two had yet another thing in common. His eyes followed the nape of Ignis’s neck, down his broad shoulders, and finally followed the trail of scars, no not scars…burn marks. His arms, mainly the one that had donned the burden of wearing the ring, were covered in burn marks.

“I suppose it was too much for the Kings of Yore to spare you the pain?” He stepped forward, his hand was placed on the other’s shoulder and slowly glided down past his bicep, and forearm until he was holding the younger man’s hand tightly in his own. “Or even have the decency to heal you.”

“Noctis tried, and for the most part, he did. Had he not intervened, I most likely wouldn’t be standing here now. And before you ask, yes, I did see Lunafreya but even she couldn’t do anything. At the most, it would have been cosmetic as there isn’t any pain.” He leaned forward until their foreheads met. The shorter man placed a small kiss on the tip of the taller man’s nose. He replied with a soft tone, “But I’m still rather self-conscious if I must be honest.”

“You’ve hidden them all this time?” Ignis simply hummed a yes. “No one would dare mock the man who nearly spent his own life to save his king. His brother.”

“The same could be said for you.”

“No, I was arrogant. You were selfless.”

They stood there together without uttering another word for what seemed like ages. It was Ravus who took the leap of faith by tilting his head to the side to capture Ignis’s lips. Perhaps it was a little too soon for a first kiss but considering they would be sharing a room it might not have been that unusual. Apparently, Ignis seemed to have thought the same as he was pleasantly surprised to feel the other had adjusted to better enjoy the kiss. The two couldn’t deny that there was indeed a spark between the two, and now all that was left to see was whether or not it could be kindled to a passionate flame of romance.

“Hmm…You really are sweet, but we should get to the job at hand if we truly wish to earn our stay here.” Ignis teased. He gave one last chaste kiss to the lips before leading him out the door.

The tasks weren’t all that challenging on paper, but they did require effort and time. The first was to scout the area for any possible food for the Chocobos and the second was to collect samples of the soil and of any plants should they find any. They managed to locate a few patches of Gysahl Greens relatively near the post. Ravus jotted down the location while Ignis harvested a sample of the soil before retrieving one plant to study. Or at least he tried to.

What he found was that perhaps in the long ten years of darkness, the plants might have either adjusted by growing in deeper to find nutrients, or the roots just had a long time to grow given that they had not been touched by any creatures in years. He struggled to pull it out with the roots intact but tried as he might all he ended up was falling back on the ground gasping for air.

Ravus laughed all the while with Ignis looking at him in disapproval. “You mean to tell me that King’s advisor was bested by a vegetable?”

Ignis got back to his feet and dusted the dirt off his outfit. “It isn’t that simple. I take it that rest of the patches might be similar as well.”

“My, so formal when it comes to getting the job done. Need a hand?” he teased. Ignis groaned now beginning to regret what he said to Ravus all those years ago in Altissia.

“No, I don’t.” With that said, he returned to pulling at the plant once again but ended up in the same position as before.

“If this is all it takes to get you on the floor perhaps, I should consider playing hard to get.” Ravus reached into his bag and pulled out a trowel. He gradually dropped to his knees and used the tool to carefully dig around the plant without harming it. Once enough dirt was removed, all it took as a quick yank to remove the vegetable from its dirt confines. With a satisfied smirk, he dangled the Gysahl Green before Ignis. He groaned as he reached for the plant only for Ravus to pull it away and place it in his bag. “And all I needed was one hand.”

They did the same for the remaining patches and found that the plants all shared the characteristic. Ravus jotted down a few notes about the new trait while Ignis examined the roots of the collected samples. Even when far from home, he still threw himself into work. When he caught himself, he put away the samples and simply asked Ravus to add a few notes.

Even Ravus had caught himself in a similar situation when Ignis looked over his shoulder to see that he also added a few points of interest about the locations they scouted. Both looked at each other in shame.

“It’ll take time to learn to relax.” Ignis consoles. Ravus sighs as he pulls the other into a hug, the latter tightens his hold on the other. “Shall we head back?”

“There’s nothing to fear from the dark anymore aside from the possibility of getting lost out here. As much as I would love to enjoy the night chill, it would better share warmth in the comfort of a room and bed.”

Using what remained of the daylight, the two managed to find their way back to the post. They handed over the samples and observations which Wiz was well aware of. He had found similar patches and wasn’t surprised that the two had found similar traits. It was something that would need to be studied, but he sent Ignis and Ravus off to bed as it was something that would be looked into once researchers arrived in the future. In other words, it didn’t concern them so why not rest up.

When they returned to their room, they found that Wiz was true to his word and had indeed placed a second bed.

“Why don’t you wash up while I cook dinner?” Ignis offered.

“I assume it’s still too early to shower together?” The younger man threw a towel at the other, which he caught as he headed off to wash up. “Had to tease.”

Though dinner was finished soon after Ravus had showered, he waited for Ignis to bathe as well as he wanted to share a meal together. It was a simple dish, just grilled meat which Wiz had offered the two as a reward for going above what was needed, and a side of steamed vegetables. Luckily for Ignis, Ravus wasn’t that picky of an eater as he had thought before.

“You truly are a great chef. The small meals you prepared at the citadel were amazing, but this is spectacular.”

“What I cooked before was hardly of any note. It was just something I scrounged together with what little time I had.”

Ravus shook his head. “Do not undermine yourself. You have talent. Flaunt it.”

In exchange for the meal, Ravus offered to wash dishes. That was what he said, but he truly wanted Ignis to rest as he did have a rough day, coupled with the long drive that would soon follow.

When he finished cleaning up, he immediately headed to the bedroom to sleep. He noticed Ignis was fast asleep and walked over to check on him. He lifted the blanket up just a bit to cover his shoulders but was startled when the other turned to face him.

“Thank you for washing the dishes, Ravus. I hope you didn’t have too much trouble.” He yawned.

Ravus kissed his cheek and combed his fingers through his hair. “Having one arm doesn’t make me useless.”

“I’m aware. I just wasn’t sure if you washed a dish in your life.”

“Funny.” Ignis laughed at the other’s dry delivery but was silenced by a yawn. His lover placed one last kiss on his cheek before heading off to sleep in the separate bed.

What he didn’t know was that as soon as he fell into a deep enough sleep, Ignis had joined him in his bed. How the other would react would be seen in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My work for the Rareair Big Bang! I was paired with the talented Dask for this rarepair event! Please check out their spicy piece of art!!! 
> 
> https://twitter.com/howgayisdask/status/1325265612092960768


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn’t a surprise to Ignis that he woke up before the other. In fact, he was more than happy to be greeted by Ravus’s calm, sleeping face. He couldn’t resist touching his face, his fingers grazing along his jaw and noticing a bit of stubble was growing in. Ignis wasn’t too fond of beards, at least on himself, but a bit of stubble on Ravus looked good. It felt pleasant to the touch as well. Beside him, Ravus began to stir. His hand glided up further until it was in his hair, smoothing his hair back. It only took a few strokes until his gaze was met by mismatched eyes. The white-haired man simply looked at him, not mumbling a word or even making a sound. This wasn’t the reaction Ignis expected, but perhaps the other’s mind was still catching up to his body’s woken state? Another moment passed and finally, Ravus cracked a small smile.

Without sparing another second, Ignis found a pair of lips pressed against his own for a brief moment. “Good morning. Were you so afraid of the dark that you needed to join me?” 

Ignis laughed softly. “You would love that, wouldn’t you? Hm, but no. I was simply tired of waking up alone.” Ravus hummed in agreement. “When we could manage to squeeze in a few naps at the Citadel, what I enjoyed most about those busy days were the times we both passed out in the office together. Forgive my cliches, but in a way, waking up to you was romantic.”  
  
Ravus wrapped his arm around Ignis’s waist, the bedsheets shuffled as the younger man was pulled towards the older. “It’s a shame our dates involved us being unconscious. Or sharing a brief lunch.” 

“Oh, so now we’re calling them dates?” He rested his head against Ravus’s chest. The other in turn pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

“It would explain why we seem to be taking some rather large steps in our relationship despite it being only a few days.”

“We did date, I mean have an actual date, before we decided to throw ourselves in the throes of never-ending work. Perhaps this feels normal because we craved it for so long?” 

Ravus thought over the comment, his mind recalling the brief date they shared before Lunafreya and Noctis’s wedding. He recalled the two had been teasingly paired together by their friends and co-workers until one of them had enough of it. Ignis had asked Ravus to join him for a stroll around the newly constructed park at the center of the city. He initially wanted to decline as he feared should the night not go well; he didn’t want it to interfere in their work. However, Ignis assured him that both men were professional enough to leave things be should the night end in less than favorable outcomes. Besides, no one would be able to spread gossip about the two anymore if it happened.

The date came, and both men were surprised at how much they had in common. There wasn’t a dull moment between them, and each found someone who could match the other wit for wit and quip for quip. It was surface-level conversation as neither wanted to bring up ill memories with the wedding soon approaching. Still, even with light topics, they found themselves invested in talking and in each other’s replies.

At the end of the night, they had shared a kiss but left it at that the next day. After the date was when work was beginning to pick up again. From the needs of the Kingdom, the rebuilding of Tenebrae, topped with the wedding preparations there was no time left for a second date. By the time each issue had a plan to tackle the restoration effort with proper leads and funding, it was too late. Ravus and Ignis had grown to accustom to the work and having seen how happy their siblings were on the wedding day they couldn’t let anything else come between the two ever again. 

“Hello? Ravus? Come back to me for a moment.” It was a second before Ravus' eyes were no longer glazed over and were looking directly at him. “I didn’t offend you, did I?”

Ravus shook his head. “Not at all. I was thinking back to our first date.”

“Oh?”

“I’ll share with you later. We should get back to our traveling plans.”They were back on the road again, and this time Ravus was more vocal about stopping by a rest stop when needed. Yes, traveling did take a bit longer, but Ignis didn’t mind it so long as Ravus was comfortable. When paused at a stop for a breather, he watched the other walkabout for a bit until his attention was pulled to the vibrating cell in his pocket. He excused himself from Ravus before leaving to take the call in private in the Regalia.

“Ignis? Hey, it's Noct.”

“Ah, so that’s why my phone screen read Luna’s Man.” 

“Hahaha. That’s so funny…Wait are you serious? No. No. I mean, ugh, we’ll talk about that later. I’m being told that you haven’t checked into your room at Altissia yet.” “That would be correct. After being told the boat was not in service and being granted your permission to use the Royal Vessel, we found that the road to Cape Caem was closed for construction. We had to find a way around, and as of now, we are making our way to Lestallum.”

Noctis went silent. Just as Ignis was about to ask if he was alright, he heard the other groan on the other end. From what he could tell it seemed to be one of disappointment. “I’ll call you back by the end of the day. Just don’t leave Lestallum till you hear back from me, got it?” He didn’t even give Ignis a chance to say goodbye before abruptly ending the call.

He sighed as he locked his phone and tucked it back into his pants pocket. He rested his head against the steering wheel before bumping his forehead against it a few times. His head slipped a little too low towards the end and accidentally pressed the horn which caught Ravus’s attention. Without a moment of hesitation, the other man nearly ripped the driver seat door open to check on Ignis.

  
“I heard the horn. Is something the matter?”

“Get in the car. I’ll explain on the ride to Lestallum.” Ravus complied without an issue.

  
Ignis explained that Noctis had believed the two would have arrived at Altissia by now, and also told him that he didn’t let Noctis know that he was aware of their stunt to force them into a vacation. He figured why the rush if this was a ploy to get them to take a break, and Ravus reasoned that it sounded like the rooms were on reservations. Still, not that Noctis liked to flaunt that he saved Eos from ruins, it wasn’t like he couldn’t ask to change the room booking date. Well, whatever the reason the two needed to get to Lestallum and hear from Noctis.

Meanwhile, at the Citadel, Noctis and Luna were looking over their plan wondering where they went wrong. By no means should the road to Caem and Galdin have been closed. They even called those in the area in advance to check, and they only found out that the road was recently closed to improve the electrical wiring. Normally, this news would have been reported to the King, but since everyone was used to Ignis’s work habits, they had dropped off the plan for the new electricity system on his desk.

“Perhaps we should have informed more of the staff than just our personal friend group,” Luna said. Noctis nodded.

“In hindsight that would have been the right call, but I was afraid someone might have let Ignis and Ravus in on the plan.” Noctis reasoned. Luna shrugged but ultimately agreed with him.

“I suppose the best course of action would get them to take the shortest route to Caem then? The anniversary of when they met in Altissia is quickly approaching, there isn’t much time until then.”

“I’ll send instructions to Ignis soon. Don’t worry, Luna. We’ll make sure they get to Altissia in time.”

While they waited for the King to call, the couple enjoyed a small impromptu date at the Lestallum Market. While Ignis was a fan of the street food and wares, Ravus was less than impressed. The only thing that brought a smile to his face was seeing Ignis enjoy himself, and maybe a few of the snacks from the food stalls, but only the ones his lover recommended. He didn’t want to tempt fate with anything else.

At the end of their little venture, Ignis lead the other to the overlook to show him the landscape of the area. Ravus admitted it was a nice view, but it didn’t compare to home.

“I noticed you only travel to your home when accompanied by Lunafreya. Are you truly afraid to leave her alone, or is there something more you’re not admitting?” He leaned forward against the railing, Ravus following suit.

“I suppose there is truth to both. While I trust Noctis with her safety- “

“I believe it's Lunafreya who is watching over Noctis.”

“Cute. However, I’m more comfortable with Luna at my side when we make visits to Tenebrae. I’m still afraid they might not hold me in the highest regard after all I’ve done.”

Ignis had a feeling that was the case, but he never pressed for details before, however, if he and Ravus wanted this to work he needed to know all his worries. “You know that isn’t true. You did what you had to protect your sister.“I tried to keep her from helping the Chosen King. How do you think they view that as?”

“She would have died.”

“But they didn’t know she was destined to die. To them, all they saw was a Tenebrae born Imperial lapdog blindly following orders.” The two remained quiet. Both knew that was true, and as much as he wanted to provide comfort to Ravus’s worries he knew there wasn’t anything that would sway public opinion. While many knew of Ravus’s change of heart and the aid he provided, many still found it difficult to forgive him.

“You threw yourself into the life of a workaholic. I’m beginning to think you might have done this to make amends for what you did, not only for your sister’s sake.”

Ravus leaned against the other as if seeking comfort, which Ignis gladly provided by kissing his cheek. “Perhaps you are right, but I promised things would change. I may visit home on my own in the future no matter what public opinion on me says. I can’t run forever, and I was never one to cower from what needed to be done.”

“I could come along if you allow it.”

“Perhaps one day, but I need to visit alone first. I can’t rely on you, or Luna. This is something I need to face on my own or I’ll never move on.”

Ignis’s phone went off and apologized for the interruption but he needed to take the call. When he realized it was Noctis calling, he put the phone on speaker for Ravus to listen and speak as well.

“Hey, so we looked into it and we planned a route for you two to take to get to Cape Caem. It’s going to be a long trip, so it’ll depend on if you want to leave now or tomorrow.”

The two men looked at one another, discussing what the best plan was. Ignis was in favor of leaving now but seeing how much Ignis enjoyed himself in the town he was in favor of letting him rest and leaving tomorrow. After a bit of back and forth, Ravus conceded to Ignis’s wishes.

“So today it is then. Well, you two can head off to Old Lestallum and follow the road from that point in the morning, or you can travel just a bit further and camp out at Telghey.” Ravus sneered at the mention of ‘camp.’ This of course only encouraged Ignis to further take that option.

“Camping certainly brings back memories. I think I wouldn’t mind a little camping trip.”

“Perfect. It’s still a long drive there, so be careful alright?”

“I suppose we are rather lucky you left a camping tent in the Regalia.”

“Right…Lucky. Bye.” Noctis ended the call, leaving Ignis and Ravus in laughter.

It certainly was a long drive as they were told, and by the time they reached the campground, there was only a sliver of light left among the horizon. The two used what light was left to quickly set up camp. They started with setting up a fire to provide some light then moved to pitch the tent. Well, Ignis set up the tent as Ravus had little to no experience with camping equipment. Honestly, they were lucky that he at least knew how to start a fire.

Just as before, Ignis took to cooking but he stopped when he realized he didn’t have much aside from a few vegetables and some rice he picked up at the Lestallum Market. As he paused to think, the sound of a nearby river caught his attention, and he had a thought. In the past, he recalled Noctis would partake in nighttime fishing which often resulted in catching large fish species. Perhaps…

“Ravus, how familiar are you with fishing?”

"I can handle a rod, though I have no patience for it.”

This was certainly going to be an adventure.

The two assembled a fishing rod that was placed among the camping gear. Again, Noctis and Luna made it very apparent that this was never a job to begin with. Still, their plan worked in some sense.

The two men found a safe path down to the river where Ignis took the first turn. He stretched out his arms first before casting the line into the river in what he thought was a great cast.

Thus, began the waiting game.

Minutes passed.

Half an hour passed.

Then an hour passed.

At that point, Ravus had enough. While the other was fishing, he had been sharpening a long stick he had found on their trek into a makeshift spear. “Move.” He pushed Ignis aside, and held the spear over the water, waiting like a cat to strike.

“Ravus, you do know that spearfishing is actually quite difficult? We’re better off just-“ Ravus shushed him, Ignis rolled his eyes as he stepped aside. Minutes passed until with a quick strike Ravus plunged the sharp end of the wooden stick into the water. Ignis looked at the other with a smug smile on his lips, believing that he caught nothing. However, when Ravus withdrew the spear, there indeed was a fish skewered at the end of it. More surprisingly, it was quite an impressive catch too.

“You were saying?”

Back at camp, the two were enjoyed the dinner Ravus had caught, though Ignis found himself hungry for something else. All of a sudden, he found himself more drawn to Ravus, but not in an emotional sense. More of in a physical way. He couldn’t keep himself from looking at the other as he ate, watching his lips, the way his arm curled, and the rise and fall of his chest anytime he took a deep breath. After dinner, the two turned in for the night after cleaning up the dishes and cookware. Now that they had shared a bed, they were more than comfortable with sleeping in close proximity.

They shared a kiss goodnight, but this kiss was a bit more heated than compared to before. All Ignis could think about was Ravus perched over the river, and the force he exerted when he speared a fish in the blink of an eye. He thought of the way his arm flexed, the bicep of his arm the main focus of his attention. Before he knew it, Ignis found himself on top of the other eagerly deepening their kiss. Ravus was just as involved with his hand placed firmly on the small of Ignis’s back with it pushing down until their hips met.

The younger man pulled away to breathe and panted as he rolled his hips to grind their groin against one another. Ravus groaned, muttering small phrases of approval as the other continued. He pulled Ignis even closer until there was no space between them, the friction only increasing. After a few more gyrations Ignis climaxed first, his body shivering as he rode out the waves of pleasure. Ravus followed after, choking back a moan until he gave in.

Ignis rolled off the other, panting as he tried to steady his breath. He pressed himself closer to his lover who was also struggling to reclaim his breath. They held onto one another until they were able to exchange short sentences without needed to gasp for air.

“So, what brought on that little treat?”

“It seems I respond well to authority.”

Ravus smirked at the other. “I suppose I should continue if I want to encourage more of this.”

They shared one last passionate kiss before both fell asleep, exhausted from the trip, the cleaning, and this moment of intimacy. In fact, for lack of better judgment, they hadn’t even changed into something clean to sleep in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My work for the Rareair Big Bang! I was paired with the talented Dask for this rarepair event! Please check out their spicy piece of art!!! 
> 
> https://twitter.com/howgayisdask/status/1325265612092960768


	4. Chapter 4

The morning after wasn’t anything particularly special. They had woken up and washed up realizing they hadn’t washed up after their moment last night. Perhaps they should hold back from doing that again until they were in a proper room, but the thrill of engaging in a passionate act in the wild only added more to the passion. After they packed away all their supplies back into the car, they proceeded to head to Cape Caem. Both men wanted to talk about what happened the other night, but neither knew how to bring it up without seeming too eager for a repeat. At the least, they both knew what they were comfortable within their relationship. They also knew just how touch starved they had been. Well, they were adults who obviously didn’t mind engaging in certain activities. Perhaps it wasn’t strange to ask.  
  
“So, can I expect a repeat of last night?”

Ignis replied with his sight focused on the road. “I don’t see why not, in fact, I’m hoping we can do it again soon.”  
  
“We’ll see what Altissia has to offer in terms of atmosphere and romance,” Ravus added.

It was a short drive from the campground to Cape Caem where the Royal Vessel was docked. It was a short hike to the small cottage on the cliff, though Ignis stopped to see that the little garden he and his friends had planted years ago was still there. Though, it might be reasonable to think that perhaps someone had instead recreated it. There was no possible way the original would have lasted during the ten years of darkness.  
  
Ravus kneeled and looked through the tiny sprouts, noticing that a few looked to be native to Tenebrae. At least he assumed judging by the leaves, but he couldn’t be positive until the plants had more time to mature.  
  
Neither noticed the sounds of footsteps behind him until Ignis felt a slender finger tap him on the shoulder. When he turned around, he was greeted by the sight of a friend he hadn’t seen in a long while. She still had that glimmer of kindness in her eyes, but her posture now had that sense of confidence that the Amicitia carried with them.  
  
“Hey, Ignis. How long has it been since the wedding?” Iris smiled sweetly as she looked at Ignis before turning to Ravus. Her eyes locked onto his cloak, following the bundled fabric at his neck down to the free-flowing ends. “Nice to see you using that cloak I sewed for you. Though I’ve had a new one made for you for a while, I haven’t had the chance to give it to you.” She turned slightly to the cottage, gesturing for the two men to follow her.  
  
There wasn’t much inside the cottage aside from basic furniture and just a few minimal decorations that fit a seaside theme. It seemed like it was unoccupied for the most part, and Iris had only recently arrived judging by how the garden had only grown sprouts.  
  
The two took the time to explore while Iris went off to fetch the cloak she mentioned earlier. They didn’t have much time to look over the cottage interior to judge whether or not it had been rebuilt just like the garden as Iris arrived with a raven-colored cloak in her arms. Both men turned their attention to her, and in turn, she held the outfit piece up and allowed the fabric to gently cascade down. It was embroidered with thread so clear it practically reflected light as if was made from glass. The embroidery was that of small sylleblossoms along the hemline with a larger one at his chest. The rest of the cloak seemed to be dusted with some type of fabric glitter that didn’t seem to flake off when one ran their hands over it.  
  
“Sorry if it’s a little much, but I figured that with the wedding, this might be a nice symbol of unity? I can change it if isn’t your style.” Ravus walked up to her and ran his hand over the fabric. He was pleased with her attention to detail and choice of style.  
  
“It’s perfect. Thank you, Lady Amicitia.”  
  
“Oh, it’s nothing really. Just a little gift to show you there are no hard feelings after all these years. You were only doing what you thought was best for your sister. I’m sure Gladdy would have done the same if it were my life at stake.”  
  
She handed over the cloak, and Ravus stepped away to a bedroom to swap his old cloak for the new one. When he returned, both Ignis and Iris clapped which earned them an annoyed groan from the prince.  
  
“Oh, let me take that one off your hands.” She motioned to the old cloak. “I can patch it up for you.” Ravus nodded and handed over his old white cloak. “Right, so you were here for the boat.”  
  


It’s a shame that the two weren’t able to stay just a little longer to catch up with Iris, but judging from the call with Noctis the other day it seemed like they need to get to Altissia quickly for whatever reason. Noctis had his quirks, but when he needed something done, he wasn’t one to loaf around.  
  
While Ignis steered the ship, Ravus joined him rather than wonder the deck above to marvel at the sea’s horizon. The younger man insisted, but to no avail. It seemed that the two would share as much time as possible together.  
  
“So, what do you think the King has in store for us once we reach our destination?” Ravus asked.  
  
“Seeing as this isn’t actually a business venture, I assume it might be planned? Though I’m not quite sure what they hope to bring up here. Not that I hate the culture of Accordo, but there are some rather unpleasant memories I would rather not touch there.”  
  
“Such as nearly dying?”  
  
“Your sister dying to save Noctis.”  
  
“The King practically losing all hope.”  
  
“This list is certainly delightful.”  
  
They didn’t share another word, and instead, Ravus walked to Ignis’s side to get a better look at the sea. It was calm and expansive. Practically endless. A wave of peace came over him, and he found himself resting his head against the other man’s shoulder.  
  
“It wasn’t all bad. The silver lining to it all was that we were able to work together for a bit. Harsh as I was, you honestly were quite the companion. Like no one I had ever worked with before. Far better any high-ranking Imperial officer.”  
  
“And you were quite the adversary. There are still a few scars left from our fight somewhere on my body. Perhaps I’ll show them to you later.”  
  
Ravus paused, his eyes widening. He wasn’t sure if Ignis was flirting in a strange way, or if was making a jab at him. His worries were eased when the younger man sneaked in a quick kiss to the top of his head. “You managed to nick me in quite a few tender areas, so I’ll show you those areas in private.  
  
He looked out towards the sea and noticed that the gates of Altissia were just within sight, and Ravus had noticed as well. “Perhaps I’ll be seeing them tonight if all goes well.”

Upon docking at Altissia, both men were taken back at how well constructed the city was. Some things had changed as not all things were replaceable, but aside from that, the city looked practically untouched. The city even reworked to include its famous gondola canal system for tourists and locals to enjoy. The lanes and streets were also crowded with familiar vendor stalls selling souvenirs, most noticeably pirated copies of Lunafreya and Noctis’s broadcasted wedding. There was a part of him that wanted to press the vendor on the matter, but he let it go as it was something he couldn’t stop even if he wanted to.  
  
Instead, he bought a copy thinking it might be a clever gag gift for the King. Ravus scoffed at his purchase.  
  
“Why those two opted for a public wedding is beyond me.”  
  
“They’re a symbol of peace. They did it for everyone.”  
  
“Well, should my wedding day ever come I doubt it’ll be a public spectacle.”  
  
“You never know, Ravus. You do have your own fans, I’m sure they might want to see you get married.”  
  
“Regardless of what they want, the decision would come down to me. I only want my  
betrothed and closest friends in attendance.”  
  
Ignis sighed. “Actually, I believe I want the same thing. Though I can’t imagine anyone would want to see the wedding of the King’s advisor.”  
  
Ravus smiled and answered with a light tone. “You never know, Ignis. You do have your own fans who I’m positive might want to see you get married.” Ignis rolled his eyes but kissed him on the cheek.  
  
“Shall we check-in? Let’s see what Noctis and Lunafreya have in store for us.”  
  
The hotel wasn’t far from the dock; the city had decided to keep the Leville in roughly the same spot. It certainly was a distinct building that stood out among the city skyline coupled with the fact that it was easily recognizable by tourists.  
  
As the two entered the building with the belongings in hand, the concierge was eyeing the two from his desk. His eyes widened once he realized who the two were. Ravus opted to wait by the sofa in the lobby while Ignis handled the check-in process. It seemed rather short as he returned to his side only a few minutes later with a room key in hand along with a letter.  
  
“Strange. From my experience check-ins were quite a lengthy process. Even Luna isn’t serviced this quickly.”  
  
Ignis shrugged. “Knowing this was a ploy to have us take a vacation all this time, it doesn’t surprise me this went more smoothly than anticipated.”  
  
They didn’t have much time to discuss any theories as a staff member approached the two to help them with moving their luggage to their room. All three entered the elevator, and Ravus was surprised to see Ignis select the top floor button. It seemed like something he should have remembered, but the memory couldn’t surface. Maybe he was reading too much into it considering the circumstances…Even the bellboy seemed to be rather confused about the number. He glanced at Ignis, then at Ravus, then went back and forth until he nodded to himself as if picturing something he agreed with.  
  
When the elevator door opened, the two were lead down the hall to an ornate door. Under normal circumstances, their luggage would be carried in, but the bellboy excused himself and left their luggage as if he had been shooed away.  
  
“Ravus, did you say something to him?”  
  
“I haven’t uttered a word since we stepped into the hotel. Perhaps he feared me? It’s quite common.”  
  
“No, he didn’t appear to be visually frightened, otherwise he would have been sweating bullets in the elevator.”  
  
When Ignis opened the door, the memory that Ravus couldn’t recall finally revealed itself. This was the room Lunafreya wanted for her honeymoon.  
  
Indeed, Noctis and Luna treated the two men to a room meant for newlyweds and lovers. The bed was large and plush, and the curtains along the large arched windows were long and made from a thick velvet red material no doubt to cover the windows for any bedroom antics. The largest arch was actually a door that leads to a balcony that was furnished with a small table and comfortable armchairs for a happy couple to enjoy a meal or drink together while looking over the romantic landscape of the city and its sea.  
  
Ignis was at a loss for words as he walked aimlessly through the room, no doubt in shock of what they were given. Ravus was as equally astonished about their room arrangements, but he was just as pleased by the outcome if was being truly honest.  
  
They ventured even further into the room until they found themselves in what looked to be the most ornate bathroom they had ever seen. The shower was large enough for more than one person, the door and walls were clear glass leaving nothing to hide. The bathtub, if one could even call it that, was practically a personal pool. The bathroom sink was adorned with a large mirror, and if one looked closely they would see small kelp patterns engraved on the pane with fish along the edges of it.  
  
Ignis bumped into the corner of the sink causing the letter to fall from his hand. He snapped out of his stupor to retrieve it from the floor and finally opened it to read what the King and Queen were thinking. He called for Ravus who didn’t respond until he was called a third time.  
  
Ignis read aloud:  
  


_Sorry for the secrecy, but we really needed to send you two off on a proper vacation. A few of our friends pulled a few strings for this to happen so don’t let it go waste, got it? Just enjoy yourselves. And I cannot emphasize that last part enough._  
  


_Forgive us for this but there was no other way. You two run yourselves to what is far beyond human limitation and are in desperate need of a retreat. Altissia is a beautiful city despite our pasts, and I pray you two will create better memories in the present._  
  


_From your King and Queen (and siblings you love so much so please don’t get mad)_  
  


The two men were speechless. Well, they managed to figure out the true intent of this a long while back, but what they couldn’t figure out still was why they were sent on this vacation together. They reasoned that perhaps it was to make this seem more legitimate, but Ravus countered that Lunafreya would have sent him off to Tenebrae on his own. She knew he would be more willing to accept work at home rather than struggle to have him accept “work” from Altissia. So, if not that, then what was it?  
  
“Ignis, you don’t think they wanted to get us alone? Together?”  
  
“Well, that would certainly explain the choice of the room.” He paused for a moment, then walked over to the phone on the desk and proceeded to call the front desk. He asked how long it would take to have a separate room prepared which Ravus didn’t seem to be too fond of judging by his scowl. As he was about to protest, Ignis held up one finger to quiet him. After a few minutes, Ignis withdrew his request and apologized for the bother.  
  
“You never intended to move into a second room, did you?”  
  
“Not at all. I wanted to see how quickly they could get another room ready.”  
  
“And I assume they had two rooms at the ready?” Ignis nodded once in response to his inquiry. “So, our siblings planned this romantic venture, but also planned for the worst should we have found that we couldn’t stand one another.”  
  
Ignis smiled as he placed his hands on Ravus’s face, and pulled him in for a kiss. “You are as perceptive as you are handsome.” Whispered the younger man in a low, and husky tone.  
  
“So this was nothing more than an intricate blind date.” He found some humor in the idea as he couldn’t stop himself from chuckling under his breath. “I suppose this will be an impressive story to share when others ask how we met. That is if you want to continue this relationship with me, Ignis.”  
  
“How dare you even suggest that I wouldn’t.”  
  
Ignis suddenly found himself in Ravus’s tight embrace. “Well, why don’t we have a repeat of what happened in the tent to…officiate our choice.”  
  
“Drop that princely act and just admit you want me pressed against you.”  
  
Ravus could do better than that, and in fact, he was going to. As much as he wanted to take things a little further, they were woefully underprepared for anything more sexual. He was more than content to be treated to Ignis on top of him, grinding their hips together as if to rid them of any possible space between them.  
  
It was certainly going to be a wonderful way to spend the first in the city of the sea, lights, and romance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My work for the Rareair Big Bang! I was paired with the talented Dask for this rarepair event! Please check out their spicy piece of art!!! 
> 
> https://twitter.com/howgayisdask/status/1325265612092960768


	5. Chapter 5

Camping and roughing it had its moments, but nothing could ever beat the feel of a soft bed and warm blankets. Though perhaps it wasn’t just the warmth of the blanket that was pleasant on its own. Sharing a bed with someone special was something Ravus never imagined would happen considering his life and what he’s done. Ignis sleeping beside him was a sight he was still unused to despite sharing a tent together, the time they slept in the car, and the few times they passed out together when they were at the Citadel. It still felt undeserved, but he knew better than to give in to doubts. Especially when he knew the other returned his feelings.   
  
Ravus shifted closer towards Ignis and sighed as he placed his hand on the other man’s cheek. He stroked it gently with his thumb for a moment before focusing his attention on his brown hair and the way it fell over his face. He pushed back a few strands all while admiring how peaceful Ignis looked in his “sleep.”  
  
“Any reason why you’re pretending to be asleep?” Ignis opened his eyes as he gave a soft but sleepy chuckle. Ravus smiled at the sound of his laughter and pulled his lover in for a quick kiss to the lips. “How long have you been up?”  
  
“Not very long.” Ignis yawned. “Spending time with you has certainly changed my sleeping schedule, but I can’t say I mind it,” he added as he cradled his head against Ravus’s chest  
  
“I see. Honestly, I can’t believe to have influenced you so negatively like this, Ignis. I’m sorry.” He pressed a kiss to the top of his head as a small apology, but Ignis laughed in response.  
  
“This is hardly something to apologize for, Ravus. Besides, just because I’m awake doesn't mean I have to get up. Especially if it means having you act affectionate.” Ravus laughed at that now feeling embarrassed for his apology. “If anything, I should apologize to you for causing you to worry-” Ravus pressed his index finger to Ignis’s lips who ceased speaking.  
  
His lips were soft and smooth to the touch and continued to trace them until he stopped on top of the little scar over his love’s lower lip. After admiring the small cut, he moved his hand down Ignis’s arm, but he protested by moving away. “We’ve been over this”.  
  
“I only showed you a bit of the damage on my arm, Ravus. You’ve yet to see the full extent on my body.”  
  
“You know I care little of how the ring changed you, what I care is what the ring did to you. I deserved to lose my arm, but you didn’t deserve any of this.” His hand slipped into the collar of Ignis’s shirt and slid further down until he reached his chest. “These burns aren’t any sort of punishment, if anything they’re just a manifestation of the gods’ failure to protect their so-called beloved people.” Ravus shut his eyes as he inhaled deeply and sighed. “Of all people, you don’t deserve this branding.”  
  
The two fell silent and instead embraced one another as they didn’t want to add any more to the topic. Both men were deeply hurt by that cursed object, and there was nothing they could change. He had a notion that Ignis knew as well, but perhaps it was better to drop the subject for now.  
  


It was Ignis who broke the silence. “Ravus, as nice as this is, I’m not one to waste a perfect day in bed. Why not come along and explore the city with me?” Ravus hummed in agreement. “Wonderful. In that case, would you care to join me in the shower?”  
  
The other man pulled away in disbelief which left Ignis somewhat confused and possibly slightly hurt. “The shower? As in the two of us naked together?”  
  
“Unless you prefer to shower with your clothes on.”  
  
“I meant are you sure about this? If you feel it’s too soon there’s no need to rush into things. I won’t judge your scars, but if you’re not ready I won’t force you into anything.”  
  
Ignis pressed a kiss to Ravus’s cheek before pulling himself away from him and rolling out of bed.  
  
Ravus climbed out of bed to wrap the other up in a hug. Given his lack of an arm they were usually awkward but Ignis never seemed to mind. “So, shall we take that shower?” His hand glided down Ignis’s arm until it reached his hand where he then held it tightly. Ignis smiled as he nodded. “Come along then.”  
  
He never took Ignis to be someone who would worry about his appearance, but then again, he did have his moments when he didn’t want the other to see him either. When it came to love things weren’t always so simple, so it seemed.   
  
It was Ignis who undressed first, and Ravus was too drawn in to take off his own clothes. He admired his lover as he slowly undid the buttons of his shirt, revealing more and more of his chest he moved further down. Finally, he finished and with a quick movement, his top fell to the floor. He turned for Ravus to see whose eyes were fixed at the sight of the burn scars. He knew of the damage to his skin, but they were mainly on his arm and just a bit on his torso. It pained Ravus to see Ignis, someone who put on the ring for the sake of another and not for personal pride, to pay like this.  
  
It took him a moment to realize that Ignis had turned his gaze away, he no doubt believed that Ravus was appalled at the sight. Ravus placed a kiss on the collar bone and then another on his neck which successfully drew Ignis’s attention. “You look wonderful.”  
  
Ignis placed his hands at the hem of the other’s shirt and lifted it up to remove it. Ravus reached out for the other’s hand, and it placed it where his arm would be. “It really isn’t as it appears to be.” He watched as Ignis ran his hand over the scar tissue, not once did he turn away. “As much as I enjoy your attention, maybe we should get to the shower? We can exp…” Ignis’s lips were suddenly on his, it was a gentle kiss but quickly escalated into something more passionate, and then practically ferocious once Ravus reciprocated. It wasn’t much longer until he felt Ignis nudging at him to move, pushing him back towards the bed.  
  
He pulled away and gasped, “Wh-What...happened to the shower?”  
  
“The shower can wait.” He kissed him again before nipping Ravus’s lower lip. “I need you now.”  
  
It wasn’t much longer until the two fell back into bed with Ignis pinning Ravus under him. “With those coats and cloaks you wear I often forget how well built you are.” He was about to resume their kiss, but the other man turned his head away which left Ignis a little upset.  
  
“Ah...As much as I do want this, we still lack the materials to go any further.” he panted. Ignis’s smile caught him off guard as he expected him to fully stop at this point. Instead, he gave him a quick peck to the cheek before turning his attention to the night table beside the bed.  
  
“Seeing as this was Noct and Lady Lunafreya’s attempt to have us start a relationship, let's make a little wager. Shall we?”   
  
“What you are suggesting?”  
  
“If I’m correct, which I am, I bet you that inside that table are a few things to help us ‘get to know each other.”  
  
Ravus shook his head. “I can imagine my sister pairing us like this, but she’s a proper lady. I doubt she would put anything like that in this room.”  
  
“And Noctis?”  
  
“She would have stopped him.”  
  
“Care to wager then? If you’re so sure?”  
  
Ravus bit his lip. “What are we betting?”  
  
Ignis chuckled as he released his grip on the other allowing Ravus to sit up with him. “If I’m right, we get to do what I want in the bedroom.”  
  
“And if I’m right?”  
  
“Then I’ll head out to buy everything we need, maybe a few more things depending on how adventurous you are and will do what you want.”  
  
Ravus laughed as he reached out for the handle on the small drawer. He held his hand there as he looked at Ignis in the eye. “You do know that no matter who wins the bet, there really are no losers?”  
  
“I’m quite aware, but it certainly does spice up the bedroom, no?”  
  
“It will certainly keep us from seeing the city as well as I have no intention of letting you go anytime soon once I win our wager.”  
  
Ignis smirked. “What a coincidence, I also have no plans of letting you go either should I, and I will win this bet.” Both men couldn't help but laugh. “Astrals, we really are animals, aren’t we?”  
  
“Like you said before, dear Ignis. As two touch starved workaholics, we have plenty to catch up on. And given our history in this city, I want to create new memories we can look back on here. Be they tender, sweet, or lewd.”  
  
Ignis nodded. “It should be frightening how much we have in common and how similar we think, but honestly I’m glad we operate on the same note.”  
  
Ravus shook the handle a bit which drew Ignis’s attention back to the drawer. “No more talking. Let's find out who’s giving the orders today.” With that, Ignis pulled open the drawer to see who the winner was. A triumphant smirk replaced was on his lips as he pulled out a bottle of lubricant. Ravus looked at the item in his hand and muttered something under his breath as he looked at the other with an eager but reluctant expression. On one hand, he hated losing and was genuinely stunned that Luna did in fact plan for the two have sex, but on the other hand, he was grateful as he just wanted to enjoy something more than grinding their crotches together.  
  
“What was that? Say it so I can hear you.”  
  
“I said ‘Fuck me.”  
  
“Oh, I fully intend to.” He leaned in towards the other’s ear and whispered, “I give the orders tonight.”  
  
Ravus couldn’t do much as he was a man of his word, but he was certainly looking forward to what his lover had in store for him. All he wanted was for the other to get moving as soon as possible.  
  
Feeling that Ravus wanted things to move along, Ignis pressed his lips against the prince’s and kissed him with no restraint. The two moaned in unison as neither held back, each wanted to move further as their bodies pressed closer against one another. It wasn’t long until the two were no longer thinking about what to do, and instead acted on instinct and what their bodies craved. As the kiss deepened and the skin contact became more intense, their thoughts became hazy, and lost themselves in a night filled with heat and passion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My work for the Rareair Big Bang! I was paired with the talented Dask for this rarepair event! Please check out their spicy piece of art!!! 
> 
> https://twitter.com/howgayisdask/status/1325265612092960768


	6. Chapter 6

Morning came and Ignis was greeted by a ray of sunlight that peeked through the curtains of the window. His eyes opened only a little, but it was enough to see Ravus’s sleeping face. He felt the other’s body pleasantly wrapped around him and closely pressed together. As he pressed a kiss to the top of Ravus’s head Ignis heard a small murmur coupled with the sensation of his body shifting against his own. Not long after Ravus’s eyes met Ignis’s.  
  
“Morning.” was all Ravus could say before a strong yawn erupted from his mouth. He had covered his mouth with his hand to spare Ignis his morning breath but given their proximity, it was more of a formality. Still, Ignis appreciated the effort. “Hm, did you rest well?” Ignis only nodded in response as he rested his head against Ravus’s shoulder. “Did last night truly tire you out that much?” he teased.  
  
“Last night? We went at it all day.” he groaned. “Like a lovesick, young couple. I can’t even remember what happened most of the night.”  
  
Ravus slid his arm down Ignis’s back and rubbed small circles against it to soothe him. “I hope that isn’t a complaint I’m hearing.”  
  
“An observation,” he added.   
  
“Perhaps that bottle of wine we asked for might have been pushing it. But drinking it from your mouth was more than worth it.”  
  
“I think pushing it was agreeing to move to the floor. The carpet burn is something I definitely remember.”  
  
Aside from a small chuckle between the two they remained silent and enjoyed the time alone together. The talking, the physical affection, and even the silence they shared made Ignis feel comfortable. Perhaps it was the effect of the Altissia or maybe the feeling of finally having someone close like this, but regardless he couldn’t help but feel like it was meant to be even if it did sound rather cliche.   
  
The sound of the alarm clock brought the two back to reality, Ignis quickly shutting it off before returning to the embrace of his lover. “I suppose we’ve spent enough time in our room. We should actually get to having a venture in the city.”  
  
“Separate showers I presume?”  
  
“Unless you want a repeat of yesterday.”  
  
“Tempting.”

  
Despite everything that happened in the last ten years, Altissia continued as if none of it happened. The commercial districts carried on drawing tourists. Seeing as the city thrived on tourism, he could understand why they focused on touching up the more scenic landscapes of the city. A sudden tap on his shoulder pulled him away from recalling any more dark memories.  
  
“Everything alright? You seemed lost for a moment?”   
  
“Of course. I’m simply amazed at how quickly they managed to restore most of the city given the time and resources.” Ravus nodded, his thumb rubbing the other’s hand in a soothing act.   
  
“This might not surprise you, but the city had a worst-case scenario plan set should anything destroy their way of life. After being under Imperial rule for so long, you always worry for the worst and prepare for it.” Ravus said, his tone somber. Of course, Ravus knew what it was like to expect the worst of life. “It’s a shame life turned this way, but at least they pulled through.”  
  
Ignis pulled Ravus closer towards himself, the taller man resting his head on the other’s shoulder. There wasn’t much Ignis could say to comfort the troubled thoughts that ran in the other’s head, but at the very least they could be there to support him. Figuratively and literally.  
  
Despite the shopping districts being up and running, the two couldn’t find anything that fit their interests. They instead spent their shopping time picking out small souvenirs for friends and family. Occasionally they did point out objects for one another but would always turn it down. Each appreciated the sentiment but couldn’t bring themselves to it. At the very least Ravus did allow Ignis to treat him to lunch but only with the promise that he would be allowed to treat him to dinner in exchange. Honestly, it was cute how competitively romantic Ravus was.  
  
They were seated outside the cafe to enjoy the cool sea air and the landscape of the horizon. They expected it would be a while until they would be served their orders but being related to the King who brought the dawn and the Queen who cured the Scourge must have changed patron priority. The waitress wished them a good day and told them to tell the King and Queen of their little cafe before resuming to tend to tables.  
  
Ravus scoffed. “And here I thought we were getting special treatment.” He rolled his eyes as he helped himself to one of the small finger sandwiches on the wooden tray. Ignis chuckled as he placed a napkin on other’s lap to catch any crumbs.  
  
“You would think the Prince of Tenebrae would have some influence.”  
  
“Not when the Prince joins the enemy army, attempts to kill the Chosen King, and other things I need not list.” He answered nonchalantly. “I don’t blame them, and besides, I would much rather have your approval. Only your opinion matters.”  
  
Blunt as always, but sweet. Young couples stuttered to express themselves, but Ignis enjoyed the directness in their relationship. On the surface, it didn’t appear romantic, but there was still love wrapped in each word.  
  
“Honored as I am to be held to such high approval, I do worry about public opinion concerning you. You’re a different man now and others should be aware of it. I want them to see what I see.”  
  
Ravus disagreed. “My sister deserves their attention. As well as Noctis and I’m positive you agree.” He was right, he had him there. “Enough talk, you should eat.” He picked up another sandwich from the tray and held it to Ignis’s lips.  
  
“Being hand-fed by the Prince of Tenebrae? My, what an honor this is.” He took a small bite of the food before taking it from the other’s hand. “Thank you, Ravus.” In return, Ignis picked up the glass of lemonade beside the tray with his free hand and held the straw close to Ravus’s lips. He took a long sip before pulling away.  
  
“Look at you with the ability to feed me and yourself.” Of course, he was only making a joke but quickly held his hand up to stop Ignis from speaking knowing he was about to apologize. “Relax. You know full well I could care less. I could use a prosthetic as I did before, but I choose not to.” Ignis’s posture eased, and he resumed eating again. “Besides, what use would it be? It isn’t as if I could feel you with it.” He nearly coughed up what he had in his mouth, but managed to keep it in. This man was dangerously forward.  
  
A minute after gathering himself, he slides the tray of food closer towards the other. “Still, it would make other tasks simpler for you. Prosthetic or not, I care for you regardless.”  
  
“The thought has come to mind a few times, but my decision always remained unchanged. However, I’m...happy that you respect my choice.” With that, the two resumed happily enjoying their meal.  
  
The rest of the day was spent idly walking about the city, passing by the sites but not spending much time at them. Perhaps there are still a few memories they aren’t ready to discuss but given time they will. Or at least Ignis hoped so.  
  
As the sun set low against the horizon the two agreed it was time to head back to the hotel for the night. All the walking had tired them out a bit, the nightlife of the city would be enjoyed the next day. From what they did see on the walk back there was plenty to do the next day it seemed.  
  
Immediately upon entering the room Ravus began to disrobe and tossed clothes onto the chair beside the window. Ignis huffed as he walked over to properly fold the clothes and put them away. “Really Ravus?”  
  
He had already gotten under the covers, his eyes shut. “I’m old. I’m tired.”   
  
The younger man sighed as he undressed as well, putting his worn clothes away with the rest. “You’re not that much older than I am.” He climbed into bed as well, joining the other under the blanket. “Are you alright?” Ravus hummed a yes but Ignis wasn’t convinced. He was about to roll out of bed to fetch Ravus some water but was pulled back into bed and tightly wrapped in a hug.   
  
“Ignis, you fall for tricks far too easily.” Ravus's hand wandered further down from his neck down to Ignis’s lower back. “Should we continue where we left off last night? I believe one of us still needs to have his turn at giving the orders,” he whispered into the other man’s ear. Ignis shivered at the tickle of his breath, moaning softly at the warm touch of his hand.  
  
“You give the orders? You know how I feel about you and authority.”  
  
“An absolute turn on?”  
  
Ravus didn’t give the other man a chance to reply as crashed their lips together in a loving but eager kiss and wasn’t long before the two were practically pawing at each other again. This certainly was a great way to end the night. Two nights in a row.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My work for the Rareair Big Bang! I was paired with the talented Dask for this rarepair event! Please check out their spicy piece of art!!! 
> 
> https://twitter.com/howgayisdask/status/1325265612092960768


	7. Chapter 7

This time Ravus had to admit they might have pushed it a little too far last night considering he was up before Ignis this time. Even further, the two even managed to sleep through not only the alarm clock on the table but even the personal alarms set on their phones. Alarms that were scheduled to go off every other 10 minutes should one fail to rise the listener. Well, it wasn’t much of an issue he reasoned seeing as for tonight they planned on seeing the city at night. He turned his attention back to his sleeping love, and gently stroked his cheek to keep him from waking from his peaceful rest.  


Once he confirmed that Ignis was sound asleep without any signs of waking soon, Ravus quietly climbed out of bed though as cliché as it was, it pained him to part from the other. There was a small murmur of protest from the younger man as he felt a sudden absence of warmth but was quickly remedied once he was given the pillow Ravus had slept on to hold. With one task accomplished, he got dressed before turning his attention to getting their outfits ready for the day. Lucky for him, Ignis had already set an outfit aside so all that needed to be done was iron it out and lay it out for the other to see. Really, Ignis really did plan everything out, and with Ravus to iron out the little details they did make quite a power couple.  
  
Iron out? Oh, now even he was beginning to make a habit of puns as well.  
  


Lastly, he scribbled out a note for the other to see once he rose from his much-deserved slumber. Ravus wrote he would be fetching breakfast for the two but removed the word when he realized it was past that meal of the day. After a moment of thinking, he opted for ‘brunch’ but also scratched that word out as he hated the sound of it. He crumpled the paper and tossed in the near trash bin, and on a new note he simply wrote “I’m getting food for us.”

Ignis awoke to find himself alone in bed and disappointed to find that what he believed to be Ravus was just a pillow. At the very least it wasn’t an ordinary pillow as it had his scent and like a lovestruck fool, he sniffed the scent of it unaware there was a pair of mismatched eyes observing him.  
  


“Did you miss me that much? The poised and proper Ignis Scientia inhaling the scent of a pillowcase?” Ignis jumped at the sound of the voice, eyes wide with shock as he saw Ravus seated at the table with an untouched meal. He tossed the pillow to the floor and composed himself the best he could, though there was nothing he could do to remove the blush from his cheeks. While the older man laughed, the other got out of bed and tossed on an old shirt and a pair of slacks before joining the other at the table.   
  


“Have you been waiting for me to wake up?” Ignis helped himself to one of the small pieces of bread and dipped it into a rich, creamy dip Ravus had pushed towards him.  
  


“It would be rather inconsiderate of me to begin eating without you. Besides, I didn’t wait long. As expected, I had known you would wake up soon given we have a similar sleeping pattern. Which would explain why I couldn’t get anything better, so I apologize if this is lackluster.   
  


Ignis shook his head and kissed Ravus on the cheek. “No need to apologize. Besides, this is Altissia, nothing here is lackluster.” He teased.   
  


“Hm, that certainly explains why you fit in quite nicely here.” Ignis shook his head, though he had to admit that was a rather smooth compliment. As much as he wanted to express similar sentiments, he would save his best for the night to come.

Altissia at night was what one would expect. Lights decorating every building, gondolas lit with artificial candle lights for a romantic boat ride among the dark cityscape, and outdoor eating areas were illuminated by the brightest fairy lights one could imagine. If they hadn’t felt a romantic spark before, they surely would have felt it now given how carefully the city crafted an amorous atmosphere. “Lunafreya and Noct’s plan would have certainly worked out had we not somewhat been an item before all this panned out.”  
  


The two men walked hand in hand as they took in the scenic views but not before Ravus draped part of his loose flowing cloak over the other to keep him warm from the cool sea breeze. “Glad to hear you would have fallen for me.” Ignis moved closer to his body, resting his head against the other’s shoulder.  
  


“I’m not afraid to admit it.”   
  


“Neither am I.” Ravus in turn kissed the top of Ignis’s head, but the other returned one to the lips.  
  


“Don’t be afraid to be affectionate, dear. After all, this is a vacation. We might not get another chance to be like this when we return to Lucis.”  
  


With that thought in their heads, the two took to capture as many moments together. Ravus wasn’t one for pictures, but even he was in favor of taking pictures among the sights. He even agreed to take cliche kissing photos with the promise that only he and Ignis would see them. They had managed to take enough photos to fill out Ignis’s camera roll, and by the time they were satisfied with picture taking, Ravus only had room for a just few more.  
  


Weary from walking, the two took a seat on a nearby bench on one of the bridges overlooking the docks. Well, Ravus did. Ignis helped him to sit before he left to find a warm drink the two to enjoy together. While the other was away, he took his time to look through the pictures they had taken, smiling at how cheesy this all truly was but still enjoying it all the same. He never thought he would have someone close given what he had done in the past, all the damage, and what he nearly ruined. Had Ignis not stopped him all those years ago when he attempted to kill Noctis, he can’t imagine what would have become of their star. It wasn’t a memory he liked to visit, but it was the one where he and Ignis had made a connection. Not a romantic one, but it did lead to what they have now in a dark way of thinking.  


He sighed as he continued to slide through the camera roll, setting aside a few photos he was particularly fond of in a favorites folder. They were nice, but neither he nor Ignis were photographers so they were amateur at best. Maybe he could ask Ignis’s blonde friend...Prompto was it? Maybe he could ask him to take a proper photo so they could display it in a frame in their home.  
  


Their home? That was an odd thought. They had only just adjusted to partaking in couple’s activities and he was already thinking of moving in together? The two did note that it felt like they were playing catch-up rather than getting to know each other since they were rather close before this. It really was a shame the two didn’t pursue a second date, maybe they would have been...something even more by now. There wasn’t any point lamenting the past, and now the two know better than to throw themselves into heaps of work. Luna and Noctis were more than capable of taking care of their kingdom, there wasn’t any need to have two older brothers take care of every minuscule detail thrown their way. They’ve yet to receive a phone call about needing their help or taking a job once they return. They truly can run their own kingdom.  
  


Lost in thoughts, he wasn’t aware the other returned until Ignis tapped him on the shoulder. “Everything alright?” He jumped as he was pulled away from his moment of reflection but relaxed when he realized it was only Ignis who returned with a cup of coffee. He handed the paper cup to Ravus who took a sip before returning it.  
  


“Hm, just fine. Simply lost in thoughts.”  
  


“Perhaps I could help you with any trouble that’s on your mind?” He took a seat beside Ravus and wrapped an arm around his waist to pull him close.  
  


“I was recalling what happened here all those years ago. It was the first time we actually spent time together only to have it end with me attempting to kill your dearest brother.”  
  


Ignis’s eyes widened with surprise, but after taking a deep breath his expression softened. “While I can’t forgive you for that, it was nice to see you come around at least. Had the roles been reversed...I might have done the same.” He took another deep breath and exhaled slowly. “The Astrals dealt a cruel fate. The way our future turned out is a miracle.”  
  


Ravus nodded in agreement. “We should make most of the future we worked for.” He kissed Ignis on the cheek which encouraged Ignis to move even closer. “So, is there anything you would like to do before the night is over?”  
  


Ignis thought for a moment as he raised the cup to his lips, looking at the nightscape all around him in between sips. He finally replied, “I only want to spend time with you, what we do doesn’t matter to me.”  
  


“In that case, join me for a boat ride?”

A romantic boat ride along the canals of Altissia was certainly what the two needed. Whatever camera room remained on Ravus’s phone was filled now. It pained him to delete a few of the ones they took on land, but they couldn’t compare to the scenic view and backdrop of the boat.  


“This was an excellent idea, Ravus. I never took you to be the sappy romantic type.”  
  


“You did say you wanted to spend time together, and this was the best way to accommodate your wishes.” Ignis laughed but kissed his lips regardless. So formal even when on a date.  
  


“Tell me, do you see us remaining together even after this? I fear when we return, we’ll throw ourselves back into work and might not see each other again.” Ignis asked with a faint hint of worry in his tone. Ravus lifted his hand to gently comb his fingers through the other’s hair to soothe his worries.   
  


“The truth? Ignis, I’ve thought of moving in together while you were fetching coffee,” he admitted. Ignis jumped and the boat rocked in response. “Yes, I really am that serious about this. I’m not saying right away, I’m only saying that yes, I can see us together even after this trip is over. Now that I know how well we work together I can’t stand the thought of letting you go.”  
  


Ignis was silent as he took a moment to process all this. To have Ravus admit all this was something he didn’t expect. Yes, he was blunt, but he wasn’t the type to admit so much all at once. Truthfully, he did want a future together. Maybe not quite so much just yet, but he could easily envision the two of them sharing a living space.  
  


“Ravus, I also find myself sharing that want with you in all honesty. I can’t tell you how lonely it’s been since the dawn returned. I never minded it at first but seeing my closest friends settle down...I assumed it wasn’t for me and threw myself into a never-ending spiral of toil.” A sad chuckle escaped from his parted lips. “In the end, I wasn’t working for Noctis, I was hiding from my problems.” He leaned against Ravus who wrapped his arm around Ignis’s waist.  
  


“It wasn’t your fault. How could you find anyone worthy of you? Aren’t you glad I came along in your life?”   
  


Ignis scoffed, but the comment did bring a much-needed smile to his face. “Oh, how humble.” Still, he rewarded the other with a soft and tender kiss to the lips. It lasted a moment, but it contained the same spark of a passionate kiss. “It’s a shame that this is our last day here. Perhaps in the future, we could come again? This time without the guise of it being a work-related trip?”  
  


“I don’t see why not? We could even see Tenebrae. It’s been a while since I visited more than just the Manor, and I would love to show you around.”  
  


“I suppose it’s a date then?”  
  


“It’s more than just a date.”

As per the norm, the two once again ended the night as they did the ones before. Despite their age, it still felt like young love. There would be a time when the sexual passion burned out but there was no doubt in either’s mind that what would remain would be a relationship built on love, trust, and understanding. However, for now, they would enjoy the physical side to the fullest extent. It wasn’t every day that a new couple could have their first time in one of the most romantic cities that could ever be imagined. Well, more than just a first but it wasn’t as if they were keeping track of that. There were more important things to tend to.  


One another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My work for the Rareair Big Bang! I was paired with the talented Dask for this rarepair event! Please check out their spicy piece of art!!! 
> 
> https://twitter.com/howgayisdask/status/1325265612092960768


	8. Chapter 8

Just like that, their romantic trip came to a halt. It seemed like only yesterday they shared their first time but that might be due to how their romantic ventures were pretty vigorous. Come to think of it, aside from the usual sparring matches they held at the Citadel, this was the only other time either one had their breath taken away from strenuous activity. Ignis looked over to see Ravus scanning over the room one last time in case they missed anything, and he noticed Ravus was practically glowing. The other took notice and turned his attention to his admirer.  
  
“You are welcome to do more than look from afar.” Ravus took a few steps towards Ignis who was also making his way to his lover.   
  
They embraced when they were close enough, and Ignis whispered into the other’s ear, “I would much rather adore you at the moment. This is the brightest I’ve seen you.”  
  
Ravus scoffed as he gently pushed away from the other. While their romance did feel like a full bloom, it was still only a bud as they hadn’t spent much time together in a loving sense. So even small moments apart like this were still hard to adjust to. They were adults, however, and needed to keep their pangs of passion in check. “We have a few things to finish here. It's best to take care of them before falling into another bout of desire.” He gently patted Ignis’s cheek with his fingertips, and the other caught his hand to hold it against his face.  
  
“You have a point, but just one moment won’t hurt.” They shared a chaste kiss to the lips and quickly parted right after. “See, just a moment.” With that, they resumed packing for their departure.  
  
The trip back to Caem was uneventful, aside from the two refusing to be apart. Ignis had even taught Ravus how to steer the ship and was quite proud to see how quickly the other had taken it. Hm, perhaps the two might be able to enjoy sea voyages for leisure in the future if they decided to chose that as a form of vacation. Vacations might be far and few between since they still did see themselves to be occupied once they returned to work. Less so than before, but enough to relax at least.  
  


The car trip back wasn’t any different either as Iris had elected to remain behind at the small sea cottage leaving the two alone again. She returned Ravus’s newly patched cloak, and explained she wanted to tend to the garden here a little longer, and that she had already told Noctis about being stationed there to watch over that quadrant on the region should anything else arise. So it was just the two of them in the Regalia again, but one key difference this time around was that Ignis had stopped by a few more rest stops than before to allow Ravus a little time to stretch his legs now and then. He still wasn’t vocal about it, but he had managed to pick up on his body language. If Ravus crossed his legs that mean he was beginning to feel a little restless, but it was nothing to worry about. If he recrossed them a second time that meant he needed to get out of the car soon. While the physical cues did serve as decent indicators, he wished that Ravus would be more vocal about his needs. Being cute by saying ‘I only need you’ didn’t help, but he appreciated the compliment.  
  
When they reached the Citadel, both men felt disheartened about their vacation coming to an end, but they were mostly fine with returning to familiar territory. In fact, a pair of familiar faces were waiting for the two at the steps of the building. As they stepped out of the Regalia, Luna and Noctis came to hug the two before spitting out practically a thousand questions at once. It was Ravus who managed to silence the two by merely holding his hand up, but in all honesty, he was surprised that had even worked.  
  
“One question at a time. Luna, go ahead.” Ravus stated. Noctis rolled his eyes as he muttered the word favoritism under his breath. This didn’t go unnoticed by the older man he pointed his index finger at the dark-haired man. “You may be king, but Luna is my sister.” Noctis nodded in understanding, though it was still obvious he was a little hurt. It was rather cute in a way.  
  
“Did you two enjoy the trip?” Luna asked.  
  
“Indeed.” Answered Ravus and Ignis in unison.  
  
“So that means you two knew it wasn’t really a work thing, right?” Noctis asked.  
  
“Of course.” Answered the two men.  
  
“And the hotel room…was…?” Luna’s voice wavered.  
  
“Perfect.” They responded.  
  
“Are you two going to stop that creepy one-word reply?” Noctis scowled at the two older men, Luna herself seemed to be a little troubled by it as well.  
  
Ignis and Ravus turned to one another and merely gazed into each other’s eyes until Ignis nodded. Ravus accepted his approval and said, “Don’t you think it was more unnerving to send two men out on a romantic getaway without letting either know?”  
  
“But would you two have gone if we hadn’t done so?”  
  
Ignis shook his head. “No, but that still doesn’t excuse you two from this stunt. I expect you two to behave better from now on. Am I understood?”  
  
Both Luna and Noctis nodded as they replied to his comment. “Yes, Ignis.”  
  
“But could you at least tell us how your vacation went? We went so far as to plan it out we may as well know if it went well.” Luna asked though she directed her question towards her older brother as she was very well aware of her brother’s soft spot. As expected, his stern expression faded into one of fondness.  
  
“Well, your plan worked out very well is all I’ll say on that matter. Is that enough to satisfy your curiosity?” Luna nodded in response though it was obvious she wanted more details.   
  
“We do apologize for all the issues that happened along the way, but I am elated to know it did not ruin the romance. In fact, it appears that it helped to kindle the flame between you two.” She giggled. Luna wanted to comment more in hopes of maybe getting the two to spill a little more about their trip, but she knew the two were two clever to fall for that. Seeing as that was all they were going to get for the day, the King and Queen and excused themselves from the two to return to their duties. Though they did say they would see them again to pry a little more information from them. Both men groaned but knew when Noct and Luna had their sights set on a common goal they were never going to relent.   
  
Weeks later, things had returned to normal at the Citadel. Well, better than normal now that the newly formed couple was now picking up a healthy amount of work. Much to everyone’s relief, they were taking their appropriate days off, but they still insisted to be on call. It was a step forward at least, but then again seeing as they were the royals’ most trusted confidants so it wasn’t if the two would always be free from work. However, they didn’t seem to care at all about the situation. After all, even if Luna and Noctis were the King and Queen, they were still their dearest siblings.  
  
One day in his office, Ignis had been dealing with a particularly difficult council member who insisted on projects that wouldn’t help Lucis or any of the nearby territories recover from the damage done when the world was in Ruin. Having had enough of this idle chatter, he dismissed the councilman from his office. He proved to be just as stubborn but yielded when realized that Ignis wouldn’t budge on the matter.  
  
He took a deep breath as he let his head fall against his desk. He massaged his temples with his index and ring fingers for a minute until he heard the door open. Thinking the man had returned to continue his rant from earlier, he was about to say some rather colorful words, but the voice spoke before he could.  
  
“Ignis?” Upon realizing it was Ravus, he felt a wave of relief wash over him and turned his attention to his lover. “I take it that imbecile of a councilman came in to tell you about his projects?” Ignis only hummed in response and Ravus quickly became heated. “I told him to leave it be, and I especially instructed him not to bring this up to you.” He was about to slam his fist on Ignis’s desk, but stopped himself from doing so, and instead clenched his fist tighter. “Honestly, how he kept his job is beyond me.”   
  
Seeing the man become swallowed in anger, rose from his seat to comfort the other. He placed his hands on Ravus’s broad shoulders and squeezed them gently which was enough to settle the older man’s anger just a bit. With one kiss to the lips, the red from his face vanished allowing his fair complexion to return. “Easy, I’m fine. You’re fine. We can deal with him later.”  
  
“I’m aware, but the fact that he still came annoys me to end. He practically bolted from my office after I shouted ‘no’ and glared at him.”  
  
“Perhaps he was more afraid of you than he was of me?”  
  
“And that is what bothers me. You are just as fierce as I am.”  
  
Ignis sighed and slid his hands up to Ravus’s face to cup his cheeks between his palms. The older man closed his eyes as he relaxed at his touch. Ignis brushed his thumbs over his cheeks, admiring the rough feel of his beard. “I see you settled on letting your facial hair grow out. I must say, it looks rather nice.”  
  
Ravus purred at the compliment as he wrapped his arm around his lover’s waist. “There’s more to touch than my face. Besides, after what you went through, I’m sure no one mind if you took a little break.”  
  
“In that case, would you mind letting me go for a moment? Someone needs to lock the door.”  
  
Ravus obliged, and was already working on removing his cloak and coat which Ignis disapproved of once he turned his attention back to him.  
  
“Now what’s the fun of having a gift that unwraps itself?” Ignis said as Ravus chuckled at his joke.  
  
“Lucky for you having one arm limits how quickly I can undress. Feel free to remove the rest.” He gestured to his half-unbuttoned coat before raising his arm in the air above his head. Ignis sauntered towards him, his hands finding themselves on Ravus’s waist.  
  
“With pleasure.”  
  
While work would always be a part of their lives, there was at least something to look forward to now. Meetings, ceremonies, and assemblies would always wear away at the two, but knowing that they had someone there to look and care for each other was more than enough to keep them satisfied at work. Though a few moments of love behind closed doors were also something to look forward to. Just a little icing on the cake as Ignis would come to say anytime he needed a moment alone with Ravus.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> My work for the Rareair Big Bang! I was paired with the talented Dask for this rarepair event! Please check out their spicy piece of art!!! 
> 
> https://twitter.com/howgayisdask/status/1325265612092960768


End file.
